The Real You
by brittanathough
Summary: "Hermione even caught herself watching Luna as she happily ate her pudding at the Ravenclaw table, isolated from the other students. The few times the brunette saw Luna with other students, they would either be first-years, or Nearly Headless Nick, who wasn't even a human, let alone a student anymore, on top of not even being in Ravenclaw during his time there as a student."


**Chapter One: Library Run-Ins:**

The first time Hermione spoke to Luna properly was when she came across the blonde in the deserted library. Luna walked around with that same dreamy gaze about her, looking positively calm for someone who was walking around the castle at midnight, looking for a pair of shoes that had gone missing. Again.

Luna once told Hermione in passing that she suspected that some unknown creatures called "Nargles" had been responsible for her missing items. But Hermione knows perfectly well that it was Luna's Ravenclaw housemates. Why she never told her, she'll never know. She just followed the illusion that Luna was not fazed by anything. Hermione thinks that, deep down, Luna knows the reality of the situation, though.

There's no such thing as "Nargles", and in some form or another, Luna was being bullied. The blonde just chooses not to address it.

People tend to underestimate Luna's ability to be strong. They all think they're breaking her emotionally by seeing her as the school's resident lunatic. 'Looney Lovegood' they'd call her, pointing and laughing as Luna, seemingly unfazed, skips to class. Hermione feels a slight pang of guilt when she remembers that she was one of the inconsiderate students calling her names. She stopped doing that when she started seeing qualities that are very rare to find in other people, in Luna.

Most days Hermione would see the blonde skipping along Hogwarts' dark corridors, her signature pensive smile lighting up the passageways as she went along. Sometimes Hermione even caught herself watching Luna as she happily ate her pudding at the Ravenclaw table, isolated from the other students. The few times the brunette saw Luna with other students, they would either be first-years, or Nearly Headless Nick, who wasn't even a human, let alone a student anymore, on top of not even being in Ravenclaw during his time there as a student.

"Hello Hermione." Seemingly came out of nowhere, as Hermione jumped an estimate of two feet from her chair. She scanned the library after regaining her composure, before spotting a gap between a couple of books on the shelf in front of her.

"God Luna, you startled me." Hermione hissed, not wanting to be heard by a coincidental passer-by, but then remembered that it was around midnight and no one, not even the prefects, were out of their dorms this late.

Well, except Luna. Obviously.

She stood up to get a better look through the little gap, wanting to make sure it was Luna she was talking to, although the slight Irish accent dropped a strong hint. Leaning forward, Hermione finally spotted the glisten of Luna Lovegood's large silver eyes, staring right back at her.

"I'm sorry. It wasn't intentional." The blonde replied. Just as Hermione was about to ask Luna what she was doing in the library this late, the girl in question spoke again. "I don't suppose you've seen a pair of shoes around here somewhere?" She asked.

"Oh," Hermione took one quick look around the library to make sure. "No, I haven't, sorry." The word that tumbled from Hermione's lips next, shocked her. "Would you like me to help you search for them?"

Under more usual circumstances, such as Harry, Ron or Draco asking her for something, she wouldn't have offered, but it was the way Luna was looking at her with such intensity that had drawn her to do so.

The blonde's homemade radish earrings shook along with her head as she declined Hermione's offer. But much to her own surprise, she insisted, "No, honestly, I don't mind. Now," She packed up her books and parchment into her satchel. "Where did you last have them?" She asked, straightening up.

"Oh, well, I had last seen them at the foot of my bed. I put them there when I wake up." Before Hermione could question her, Luna elaborated. "I wear them to bed because I sleepwalk, you see." Hermione really didn't see, but the soft tone in which Luna spoke had prevented the brunette from saying anything, but leaving her to nod and stutter out something incoherent, which- thankfully- Luna didn't hear. "I suspect it was the Nargles though." The blonde said, signature wistful gaze upon her features. "All good fun." Luna smiled.

She started walking out of the library and Hermione had to break into a small jog to catch up. Luna was surprisingly quick on her feet for someone who was shorter than Hermione.

"I don't suppose you'll be attending the Yule Ball next week?" Luna asked, just as they passed through the huge wooden doors leading out to the Transfiguration Courtyard. The late evening- early morning chill hit Hermione and took her breath away. It was like the North Pole when you compared it to the warmth of the library. Hermione clutched her robes tightly around her body, and she was sure she saw Luna shiver a little.

"I wasn't planning on it, no." Really, she was counting on Ron, or even Harry to ask her to the dance. She really didn't want to go with Viktor Krum, purely for the fact that he can't even pronounce her name correctly. "But maybe if someone I actually liked asked me, I'd definitely take it into consideration." Hermione admitted.

Luna looked thoughtful for a moment before speaking up. "Well, I'm sure someone as pretty as you will get asked sooner or later." She turned her head slightly to smile at Hermione, who couldn't help but blush, trying to hide it by ducking her head. She kept quiet though.

The comfortable silence continued as both girls walked closely, side by side, towards the Hufflepuff tower. Hermione kept her eyes on the yellow and black flags flanking the tower, when Luna came to an abrupt halt.

"Luna, are you okay?" Hermione asked, walking back a few paces to where Luna was standing. She chuckled nervously. "We really shouldn't be outside at this time. Wouldn't want to get caught by a prefect."

Still no response from the blonde. Hermione was just about to grab Luna's arm when she finally spoke up. "Do you think I'm weird, Hermione?" She asked, genuine curiosity showing through her expression.

Hermione seemed hesitant with hr answer at first, but finally found an appropriate, and not so offensive, way to word her reply. "I won't lie to you, Luna," She started with a deep sigh, "at first I thought you were a little bit weird." Luna looked slightly hurt at this. "_But_," Hermione emphasized, "I started to realise that you were just going about your days not caring what people think of you. It sets you apart from everyone else. I quite envy you, to be honest." She finished quietly.

Luna shook her head with a tight-lipped, slightly sad smile. "Don't envy me, Hermione Granger. It can be very hard being me sometimes." She said softly.

Hermione couldn't think of what to say. Luna had sounded so sad just then. So different to the usual cheery tone she speaks in. The brunette averted her gaze back to the Hufflepuff tower, where she could see the glow of the fire in the common room. It looked very appealing.

This was the first time Hermione had ever been rendered speechless, mouth opening and closing, unable to think of something to say.

Luna had clearly gotten bored with waiting for a reply, so she spoke. "I think we best be getting back. It's really late and I don't want any trouble with Mr. Filch and Mrs. Norris again." She said quietly, before turning on the spot and walking off.

Before Luna could walk fully out of site, back to the courtyard, Hermione caught up with her. Before she knew it, they were outside the Ravenclaw tower.

"Thank you for the help, Hermione. I'm very sorry to have wasted your time." Luna said sincerely.

"Of course." Hermione replied. "It was no problem at all, honestly." Next thing she knew, Luna had pulled her into a hug.

"Goodnight, Hermione." She said quietly, before pulling away and walking off.

Hermione stood there, a faint blush colouring her cheeks, grinning like a fool. She never felt that way when Harry, Ron or Draco hugged her. She didn't dwell on it, though. It was freezing cold and she was standing in the middle of the Transfiguration courtyard, smiling like an idiot. Realising that someone could come across her, she snapped herself out of her stupor and headed for the Gryffindor common room.

It wasn't exactly hard creeping through the castle at night, as long as she kept moving. She broke that little rule of her though, when she saw something dangling off of one of the banisters of the Grand Staircase. She made her way up as quietly as she could.

"_Lumos._" She whispered as soon as she got up there, setting the wand down to get a better look.

She noticed that there was what looked like a pair of laces tied together in a bow, with a pair of shoes hanging off the other side. She smiled as she untied the bow, recognising the shoes from a day out at Hogsmeade, when Luna skipped happily into Honeydukes.

Hermione didn't know how someone had managed to tie a pair of shoes to the banister without getting noticed.

She stood up, countering Lumos with Nox, and, with the shoes in hand, walked the small distance to the Gryffindor house. She was still smiling, knowing that she now had a legitimate reason to strike up a conversation with Luna at breakfast.

Once through the portrait hole, and up in the girls' dorm, she fell into bed, tired as hell, after putting the shoes next to her bedside table, and fell asleep, smile still in place.

**Hello there. I know I've been writing Brittana fanfictions, buuttt this just suddenly came to mind. I've probably got some things wrong but I haven't read/watched Harry Potter in ages, like damn. So this is just from my shitty memory...**

**But anyway, if you liked it, please review, if you didn't like it, please review. Thank you.**


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